Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
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There is Romanée-Conti, and then there is everything else. Universally hailed as the absolute greatest Domaine on planet Earth, the historic estate has long created and continues to produce the finest Pinot Noir, as well as the most sought-after bottles for any and all collectors. Both age-worthy and able to be consumed within the first 5 years of release (or don't touch them for fifteen, warns Aubert de Villaine), DRC, its affectionate moniker, is THE centerpiece of any collection.
Dating back to when Cistercian monks first laid claim to the belief that certain vineyards within Burgundy should be considered of higher quality than the rest, the vineyards we now know as belonging to the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are the finest in the land. As owners of some 25 hectares of vineyards spread over 10 Grand Crus and a few other choice sites, it is known to all that the DRC is the greatest estate in Burgundy.
The formation of the Domaine began in 1869, then the Duvault-Blochet family combined the Romanee-Conti Grand Cru with purchases of vineyards sites in Echezeaux, Grands-Echezeaux and Richebourg. By 1936, La Tache in its entirety was folded into the Domaine, and in 1988 Romanee-Saint-Vivant was finally added to increase the considerable stable of vineyards. Small plots of Montrachet and Batard-Montrachet entered the fold within the last half-century, and in 2009 and 2014, the Corton Rouge and Corton-Charlemagne were first produced, respectively. La Tache and the titular Romanee-Conti Grand Crus are monopoles of the estate.
Aubert de Villaine has helmed the estate with the Noblet winemaking family behind the production, though the Leroy and Roch family still have ownership stakes. In terms of the winemaking, the old vines are kept to an excruciatingly small yield, and the grapes are powerful and concentrated in flavor & structure. The bounds of ripeness are pushed here, as far as possible while retaining freshness and avoiding any disease pressure (the white grapes are often affected by botrytis, though this is never publicized). In the winery, all the stems are retained for the red wines, and the long macerations are kept at moderate temperatures throughout. Every wine is aged in entirely new oak, of course, only the best of the best barrels are used here.
What is not widely-known is that this is perhaps the foremost estate to practice biodynamic viticulture, for now more than 35 years. Lalou Bize-Leroy was and is a massive proponent of the practice, and had great influence in the Domaine going in this direction when her name was still adorning the DRC labels aside that of de Villaine. With incredibly strong farming in the world's finest vineyards, it's no wonder we see such continuity of greatness, and wines that forever seem so alive.
We practice safe purchasing with all bottles from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti; we monitor serial numbers that enter and exit our grasp, and routinely have the wines examined for any sign of counterfeiting. As these are the most collectible, rare and valuable wines on the market, it is of great importance to us that you can securely purchase with peace of mind.
